This joint procurement initiative seeks to enhance defence capabilities while achieving economies of scale, allowing Member States to acquire critical defence resources more cost-effectively. By procuring these resources in unison, EU armed forces will benefit from improved interoperability, facilitating more efficient coordination across national borders.
Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager expressed confidence in the initiative, noting: “This is the first time we use EU budget to support Member States in commonly procuring defence products. This operation has been a success: we are investing EUR 300 million into 5 projects addressing critical and urgent defence capability gaps.”
The projects span three critical areas: air and missile defence systems, armoured vehicles, and ammunition. For air and missile defence, the ‘MISTRAL’ and ‘JAMIE’ projects will provide short and medium-range systems to counter aerial threats, including aircraft and drones. In the field of armoured vehicles, EDIRPA is supporting the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) to provide enhanced protection and mobility for troop transport.
To address ammunition shortages, two further projects will focus on the acquisition of 155mm artillery rounds, crucial for operational readiness. Combined, the procurement value of these projects exceeds €11 billion, illustrating the Commission’s role in leveraging substantial defence investments.
The Commission received 12 proposals by the July 2024 deadline, underscoring strong interest in collaborative defence procurement. While five projects were selected, promising proposals have been placed on a reserve list, potentially eligible for future funding. Member States may choose to support these additional projects through unspent EU funds.
This initiative, involving 20 EU Member States, includes some nations engaging in joint defence procurement for the first time. With an average of six countries participating per project, EDIRPA reflects growing interest in a unified European approach to addressing defence capability gaps, notably those exacerbated by the transfer of resources to Ukraine.
Notably, selected projects will also supply equipment for Ukraine’s defence, further supporting the nation amid ongoing Russian aggression. Vestager highlighted this aspect, adding that these efforts “will allow to provide better value for money for national defence budgets, improve the interoperability of European armed forces, strengthen our industry and make Europe better prepared to face defence threats.”
EDIRPA, introduced as a short-term response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, supports joint procurement until 2025. The Commission has also proposed extending this approach beyond 2025 through a European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) to further unify demand and strengthen EU defence capabilities.
Source: European Commission (DG DEFIS).
